Treatment of meat with carbonate salt

Abstract

A method of providing a carbonate salt for treatment of meat, including providing a bicarbonate salt; heating the bicarbonate salt to convert the bicarbonate salt to a carbonate salt so that the bicarbonate salt is heated to a temperature of at least about 145° F. for a time until detectable production of CO 2 has ceased; and applying the carbonate salt to meat prior to cooking of the meat.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of providing a carbonate salt for treatment of meat, comprising:
 a) providing a bicarbonate salt; 
 b) heating the bicarbonate salt to convert the bicarbonate salt to a carbonate salt so that the bicarbonate salt is heated to a temperature of at least about 145° F. for a time until detectable production of CO 2  has ceased; and 
 c) applying the carbonate salt to meat prior to cooking of the meat. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bicarbonate salt is mixed with water to form a bicarbonate salt brine solution prior to the heating step. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the production of CO 2  is detected during the heating step by observation of bubble formation in the bicarbonate salt brine solution. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the bicarbonate salt is heated to a temperature of from about 145° F. to about 212° F. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the bicarbonate salt is heated to the temperature for a time of from about 20 to about 135 minutes. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the bicarbonate salt is heated to the temperature for a time of from about 40 to about 60 minutes. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the bicarbonate salt is heated in a brine solution with agitation. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heating step is carried out on the bicarbonate salt when in the dry state. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the bicarbonate salt is heated to a temperature of from about 145° F. to about 600° F. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the bicarbonate salt is heated to the temperature for a time of from about 10 to about 75 minutes. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the bicarbonate salt is heated to the temperature for a time of from about 30 to about 45 minutes. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the bicarbonate salt is heated in dry form with agitation. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the carbonate salt is mixed with water to form a carbonate salt brine solution prior to the application to the meat. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the carbonate salt is applied to meat from a brine solution having a carbonate salt concentration of between about 0.1 molar and 1.5 molar. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bicarbonate salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, calcium bicarbonate, and magnesium bicarbonate, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bicarbonate salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the carbonate salt is applied to meat from a brine solution having a carbonate salt concentration of between about 0.1 molar and 1.5 molar. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the bicarbonate salt is heated to a temperature of from about 195° F. to about 212° F. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the bicarbonate salt is heated to a temperature of from about 195° F. to about 400° F.